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Raise Your Game: What does it take to get to a level of high performance?

Craig Pickering: You've got to work really hard and you need to dedicate your life to the sport if you want to make it to the top. Nothing comes easy, you've got to work hard.

RYG: Have you had to make sacrifices through the years?

CP: Yes I have, but you don't really think about sacrifice because when you win it's more than worth it. I've just finished my university course and as a student I couldn't go out on student nights and things like that, but I don't miss it. This more than makes up for it.

RYG: How do you manage to balance the demands of being a professional athlete with student life?

CP: I get up, go to lectures, go training, go home and do my coursework. If you want to get a degree and be good at athletics, then you don't really have much time for anything else unfortunately, but that's the choice you make when you're aged 18 and you stick with it. As long as you're smart about your time you do alright.

RYG: Is a healthy diet and the right amount of rest important?

CP: A healthy diet is a big aspect. You eat high energy foods before races and try and keep the weight off around Christmas.

It's important to remember that it's not all about training, you've got to allow your body to rest and recover. I try and get eight hours of sleep a night ideally and with university you can't stay up late if you've got to be training the next day. If you're tired, you're more likely to get injured and not perform very well.

What advice would you give young people looking to emulate your success?

CP: You need to identify exactly what you want and then dedicate yourself to it. There's no half measure here. If you work completely for it, then hopefully you'll get the rewards.